Disaggregation of asphaltenes in incompatible petroleum oil mixtures
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsThomas G. Mason, Min Yue Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The thermal decomposition of Athabasca asphaltene at relatively low (<350° C.) temperatures is believed to proceed by elimination of groups situated on peripheral sites of the asphaltene. More severe degradation of the asphaltene structure does not occur until elevated (>350° C.) temperatures are attained.
Claims14
A method comprising determining the presence of asphaltene aggregates by irradiating said petroleum oils and oil mixtures of petroleum oils, feedstream and/or refinery process streams with neutrons and determining small angle neutron scattering (SANS) intensity, I, as a function of wavenumber, q, wherein said scattering intensity includes a coherent component and an incoherent component.
A method to estimate the volume fraction of asphaltene aggregates, φagg, in incompatible petroleum oil and/or refinery process stream mixtures comprising determining the difference between IL, the low-q plateau intensity corresponding to the asphaltene particles and IHS, the intensity perfect hard spheres in the absence of aggregation, wherein IL, and IHS are determined at different volume fractions of mixing φm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.